In this series we’ll take a fresh look at resources and how they are used. We’ll go beyond natural resources like air and water to look at how efficiency in raw materials can boost the bottom line and help the environment. We’ll also examine the circular economy and design for reuse — with an eye toward honoring those resources we do have.

While changes at home can’t solve the many environmental crises we face today, they can sure help. Through this series, we’ll explore how initiatives like curbside compost pick-up, rebates on compost bins, and efficient appliances can help families reduce their impact without breaking the bank.

Despite decades -- centuries even -- of global efforts, slavery can still be found not just on the high seas, but around the world and throughout various supply chains. Through this series on forced labor, sponsored by C&A Foundation, we’ll explore many different types of bonded and forced labor and highlight industries where this practice is alive and well today.

In this series we examine how companies should respond to national controversy like police violence and the BLM movement to best support employees and how can companies work to improve equality by increasing diversity in their ranks directly.

Compost is often considered a panacea for the United States’ tremendous food waste problem. Indeed, composting is a much better option than putting spoiled food in a garbage can destined for a landfill.

Way back in 1992, Tiffany & Co., one of the world’s most iconic jewellery makers, committed buying directly from mines which were known to have fair labor standards. This was when first reports of conflict diamonds started arising out of Sierra Leone and CSR was not yet mainstream. Tiffany also abides by the Kimberley Process, a certification system aimed at preventing blood diamonds and conflict minerals from entering the market. They also train their own employees to cut and polish stones in various locations like Belgium, Botswana, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa and Vietnam.

Recently, they launched their own sustainability website that talks about their sourcing policies, governance and charitable giving. This also coincided with their very first CSR report. At the launch of the website Michael J Kowalski, Chairman and CEO said:

“Our position as a leader in the luxury jewelry market gives us the opportunity and the responsibility to set an example for the industry and to conduct our business in a manner that is consistent with our core beliefs—protection of the environment, respect for human rights and support for the communities in which we do business.”

There are several sourcing policies that the company follows. All their gold, silver and platinum are sourced from responsibly mined metal deposits and recycled sources. The company also works with NGOs to improve mining standards. They have publicly opposed the New World gold mine which was planned outside Yellowstone National Park in 1995. More recently in 2004, they opposed a proposed gold mine in the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness in Montana. Currently, they are pledging not to buy gold from the hotly contested Pebble Mine in Alaska which lies upstream from a breeding ground for sockeye salmon. For their US operations, all the gold and silver Tiffany’s uses comes from a single mine owned by Rio Tinto called Bingham Canyon.

Tiffany’s robin’s egg blue bags and boxes are as iconic as the brand itself. According to the online report, these are manufactured with materials certified by the FSC and their catalogues are also produced using over 99% FSC-certified material.

Their first report followed GRI’s sustainability framework and subsequent reports will feature year-on-year comparisons. The company has also joined United Nations Global Compact, that further shows their commitment towards aligning their operations in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP was engaged to provide limited assurance on select metrics set forth in the CSR report.

Tiffany’s hasn’t been one to brag about its CSR activities and this is part of the brand’s method of working – understated, subtle and timeless.

Akhila is the Founding Director of GreenDen Consultancy which is dedicated to offering business analysis, reporting and marketing solutions powered by sustainability and social responsibility. Based in the US, Europe, and India, the GreenDen's consultants share the best practices and innovation from around the globe to achieve real results. She has previously written about CSR and ethical consumption for Justmeans and hopes to put a fresh spin on things for this column. As an IEMA certified CSR practitioner, she hopes to highlight a new way of doing business. She believes that consumers have the immense power to change 'business as usual' through their choices. She is a Graduate in Molecular Biology from the University of Glasgow, UK and in Environmental Management and Law. In her free-time she is a voracious reader and enjoys photography, yoga, travelling and the great outdoors. She can be contacted via Twitter @aksvi and also http://www.thegreenden.net